Tuesday 27 April 2010

Planning a firesale? Burn down the house whilst you're about it!


(Contributed by Shaun)

From the comments I've seen, it seems like a 'firesale' would be very popular. I simply can't get my head around this! What if the 'predicted' firesale HAD occurred in the January transfer window...does anyone think we'd now still be in the Prem? Does anyone really think class, quality players would have been falling over themselves to get a game at the Boleyn, given the financial situation and PL position? Why should it be any different in the summer?

Presumably, Cole and Green are included in the desired 'revolving door' clearout Hell yeah, Parker too (even though Sell-ivan says he can stay) while we're at it eh? Is off-loading the spine of the team a sensible option? Does anyone really think that Parker (30 later this year) is going to want to hang around when he sees Cole, Green, Upson, Zola ALL disappearing around him?

I actually heard David Gold in an interview yesterday state, 'West Ham are not a selling club'! Obviously he and DS don't see much of each other then, given Sullivan's latest incredible alleged comments. Did anyone see DS say in his initial press conference that, if he could, he'd swap the Birmingham team for the current West Ham team? Obviously not. DS has also allegedly come out and said that the manager is NOT involved in buying players! WTF?! Deja vu Monsieur DS...you've already had to fork out on one 'constructive dismissal' calamity!

The 2 D's and Brady Bunch's current motto is 'increase revenue and cut costs'. So where's the money going to come from to get a brand new team out every week who are happy to play for League 1 salaries? It ain't going to happen guys...surely the realists among you can see that? We need to retain the quality players we have (and don't say we don't have them because we do!) and improve the squad around them, and not a nucleus of just one player! Simply put...we can't afford to do anything else!

Come On You Premiership Irons!!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

the only players i would keep are parker. noble. hines. collison green tomkins. ilunga. faubert. behrami. stanislas. diamanti. cole. get rid of the rest.

Dave D said...

I think all of this about a fire sale is a load of crap.

Sullivan is just putting a rocket up the arses of the players for the final two games, making them think that they are in the shop window to get them to raise their game.

How much money would we receive if we finished one or two positions higher up the prem?

Straight4ward said...

Shaun, agree with you that fans on here and other sites who think that a wholesale change of personnel is both possible and beneficial are misguided.

However, I can see that the Davids are caught between a rock and a hard place (sorry, the picture you used brought that to mind)? They desperately want to retain Premiership status, and all the money that brings, whilst equally wanting to reduce the wage bill, which was up until this season running at 76% of turnover.

Our better players are on high wages for a team in our lowly position in the league and getting rid of them would obviously both reduce the wage bill and bring in transfer fees. But what good would that do? Only if you could replace them with better players and for lower wages would there be much point to this strategy. That would be tough trick to pull off.

We are not in any position to throw big salaries around so are unlikely to attract established players. More likely we take a chance with some up and coming young players mixed in with some journeymen pros (and what does that sound like? – a team for the championship?).

Like you, I think that we have the nucleus of a reasonable side and that we need to strengthen in certain areas. Good fullbacks, midfield play-maker for starters. But I don’t want to see a complete deconstruction of the present side.

HaroldHillHammer said...

As long as Zola go's I don't care

Unknown said...

anon ur a id get rid of behrami and cole

and shaun the whole thing is a bunch of crap it aint been a skysports exclusive or anything
once again its daily mail and what were thye predicting in january we all know its probably another duxbury talking lies thing

Anonymous said...

Firesale? You've been reading doctored media reports HF or you have chosen to ignore the real full interview.

Here it is for those who missed it amongst the drivel. Pay attention to the quotes...

David Sullivan is planning a radical shake-up of struggling West Ham after admitting they will listen to offers for any player except Scott Parker.

Sullivan, 61, told MirrorFootball that stars like Carlton Cole, Matt Upson and Rob Green could all be sold this summer if the debt-ridden club receive the right bids.

But he vowed to plough back all the money raised from players sales, plus fresh funds, into revamping West Ham's squad after they narrowly survived.

"Other than Scott Parker, there is not a player we wouldn't sell if it was the right bid," Hammers' new joint-chairman Sullivan admitted.


"Under no circumstances will Scott Parker be sold and we will be buying more than we are selling.

"But you have to break a few eggs to make a cake.

"We are not going to sell anybody cheaply and we will be net spenders this summer.

"There will be no fire-selling and we will enhance the squad, not diminish it, but we realise we need changes.

"We will have to shake up the pack because there is no point kidding ourselves otherwise the team we have will be in the same position next year - the table doesn't lie."

Midfield dynamo and captain Parker, 29, underlined his value to the club with a vital late winner in Saturday's 3-2 triumph over Wigan.

Sullivan is also willing to keep England defender Upson, 31, if the centre-back signs a new three-year contract as he will be a Bosman next summer.

But he admits the star, who earns £60,000-a-week, may well snub West Ham's offer leaving the club with no choice.

Sullivan said: "We will make him a proposal for a new three-year contract.

"We would give him an offer of a comparable level to what he is on now, which he may or may not want to take.

"But Upson has a year to go so if we get a good offer we will have to take it."

In the meantime, Sullivan is lining up potential new signings and has pledged to bring some top talent to the club this summer.

He said: "We are in talks to sign some very exciting players.

"We will deliver a better team and people will see a much much stronger team with some new faces.

"There will be comings and goings but that is the nature of football.

"When we start the season in August we will be a better team than we are now.

"Our policy is to improve the side over every season and that will be our philosophy.

"We realise to not only survive but to improve our position, we are going to have to wheel and deal and buy and sell."

Sounds good to me.

Anonymous said...

we should lust keep parker and sell the rest. and play parker in goal in defence in midfield and up front. and we world still do better next season.

Hammersfan said...

I like your slant 2029. I hope we can believe him! I'm busy at moment but would appreciate some submitted articles on what people think we could do to turn this squad into a top 8 side. It's looked a million miles away from that this season but, without listing a string of impossible targets, is there a way it can be reshaped sensibly? For example, I reckon Hull would take next to nothing for Bullard. I like both Eagles and Fletcher at Burnley. There must be a couple of players at Pompey who could be cherry picked? I like the Hungarian at QPR, can't remember his bloody name now! What about Hunt at Hull City? Any Man City players who might be available at least on loan in the summer? What about a replacement for Green? David James anybody? Hart on loan? We desperately need 2 centre backs if Upson goes, but who? There must be some full backs out there who can do a job, but who?

Unknown said...

anon 2029 it werent hf who did this post so fuk off

Shaun said...

Dan mate, it wasn't strictly MY post either, but a contribution to HF's last post.
HF, thanks for sticking it up..although not sure I'd have used THAT title or piccy? Some interesting input in response though!
Anonymous...I did read the full article, and used the term 'firesale' loosely in relation to the rumours that circulated the club in the January transfer window.
Hope you didn't think I was talking shite...I'd never do that!

Parker for Prime Minister!

John said...

I think 2029 has got it right. It is amusing that the majority appear to be pannicking about the sale of overpaid underproducing players who would have got us relegated had it not been for the misfortune of the three teams below us.

Hammersfan said...

If you fancy contributing again Shaun, feel free. The title and pic were selected in a bit of a rush as had a lot on yesterday.